Shell 3D Visualization Center

Mission 

To foster new knowledge and insight, support interdisciplinary research, and drive integration between research computing, data science, visualization, human interaction, and data-capture technologies by leveraging state and national opportunities.

About

Since being established in 2014, the 3D Visualization Center has enabled UW to develop a community of innovative visualization users seeking to enhance their teaching, research, and entrepreneurial activity. We provide support on collaborative multidisciplinary grants and external service-oriented contracts. We also engage with the community to nurture update of digital technologies.

Housed in the Energy Innovation Center (EIC), the facility is home to the only four-walled 3D CAVE in Wyoming. We strive to expand both interest in and access to virtual reality (VR) and other emerging computer technologies, at UW and throughout the state. We provide hands-on digital workshops, short courses, and facility tours to service the academic, educational, and business communities. We offer immersive 3D experiences, data-capture technology, and content-creation services to help analyze, interpret, and share a wide variety of data.

The Viz Center partners with UW's Advanced Research Computing Center (ARCC) to provide clients and users with access to additional computing resources, storage, and other services often needed for research.

Our work

The 3D Viz Center supports multidisciplinary research and teaching on campus and beyond:

• GIS data visualizing the Wyoming subsurface for use in energy research

• 360° data-capture to support stakeholder engagement with research and broader impacts

• Educational games to engage the K-12 community on the importance of pollinators in Wyoming ecosystems

• A 3D-CAVE application to support the teaching of molecular composition to K-12 students

• A 3D brain model to support Psychology and Health Sciences in exploring brain anatomy

• Collaborative design reviews for architecture students in the 3D CAVE and head-mounted virtual reality devices

• Ground-based LiDAR scanning to create training tools for mining educators

• A soil biome project designed to document and educate users about soil composition and formation processes throughout the country

For more about projects past and present, please check out our VizAbility page!

Services

Our developers proudly support a wide variety of capabilities, including:

1. 3D Scientific/Creative Dataset Creation and Support

   • VR/AR experience design and implementation

   • Traditional software development

2. Short Courses

   • 360° data capture

   • Ground-based LiDAR scanning

   • Unity software development

3. Hardware Hire

   • 3D CAVE

   • Head-mounted VR displays

   • High-end AR headsets

   • 360° stereo cameras

   • Ground-based LiDAR

4. 3D Digital Asset Creation

   • Animation services

   • 3D modeling, texturing, and environment design

   • Photogrammetry

5. Data Capture Services

   • 360° stereo photography and video capture

   • Ground-based LiDAR scanning

   • Photogrammetry

Facilities

Located in the EIC building on UW's Laramie campus, we have a stunning array of technology to use and share!

Mobile Technology Laboratory

• 13 HTC VIVE VR head-mounted displays

• 13 VR-ready laptops

CAVE Room

• 3D CAVE

• 3D Powerwall (active stereo)

• 3D Tile walls (passive stereo)

VR/AR

• Magic Leap augmented reality headset

• Microsoft Hololens 2 augmented reality headsets

• LeapMotion hand-tracking device

• Valve Index head-mounted display

• HTC VIVE Pro

Data capture gear

• Leica ground-based LiDAR scanner

• Insta360 stereo camera (3D panoramic photography)

• Theta 360 (2D panoramic photography)

Software

• Unity game engine

• Enscape (Revit plugin for architecture design review)

• ArcScene

• Google Earth

• Google SketchUp

Simulation Suite

• 12 RTX-capable workstations

• 2 4k 98" displays

Viz Lab

• 4 graphics workstations

• High-performance workstation (for photogrammetry and other CPU-intensive tasks)

• 3D Mini CAVE (passive stereo)

Complete the Facilities Booking Form to reserve a day and time with the 3D Visualization Center. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.

Let us know how we did! Please fill out this very brief survey to provide feedback on your experience or offer any suggestiosn.

View a list of all of the current software being utilized in the Shell 3D Visualiztion Center.